Alison Berry with her children, from left to right: Amelia, nine, Victoria, seven, and four-year-old Joel

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OPPONENTS of a controversial plan to extend a children’s playground on a village green in Runnymede have said the move would “sterilise” the area’s open space.

The play area at Englefield Green has been the subject of a four-year battle over the use of the land, which is owned by the Crown Estate but leased to the borough council.

A five-day public inquiry, which opened before Christmas and ended on Tuesday, was held by a government-appointed inspector to determine whether the £30,000 work could be permitted to go ahead.

Bob Milton, of the Open Spaces Society, said the proposal, first tabled by local mother-of-two Alison Berry, was inappropriate for “one of the last remaining vestiges” of open land in Runnymede.

“This is an urban recreation ground and should not be constructed on a village green,” he said. “You do not see this in a rural situation.

“What we are talking about are recreation facilities, which I think is inappropriate for a village green.”

Mr Milton said the inquiry was being held because of the views of a minority of parents and children living near the green, and that the wider community needed to be able to enjoy the space as it was.

“It is sterilising it,” he said. “It is no longer usable by those with rights over it and therefore removes it from the stock.

“Those children have a right to play lawful sports and pastimes in that area anyway.

“What this application does is remove that part of the community from the public at large.”

"Ludicrous"

Mr Milton also said that the plans were unlawful, citing section 29 of the Commons Act 1876, which states that anyone who “encroaches on, or encloses a town or village green or a recreation ground…erects anything on, disturbs or interferes with that green or ground otherwise than for its better enjoyment for its proper purpose” was committing an offence.

“We are protecting the common land from being overrun by urban recreational facilities,” he told the inspector. “The facilities being proposed are not enhancing the village green.

“All those children who would use the facilities can still use the green for air and exercise as they have done for most of the last century, even if there were no playground.

“We ask you to dismiss this application and direct the council to legalise the existing playground and car park or move them to a legal site.”

Alison Berry, who has fought a long battle to extend the playground for her children and others in the area, said Mr Milton’s objections were “ludicrous".

“I am very disappointed that he represents the Open Spaces Society, who are a charity and their aim is to protect and enhance land for public use,” she said.

“Their objection to this is out of proportion with what is being proposed.

“The land is there to be enjoyed by people, and the play area will do that and will encourage people to come and use it.

“It is ludicrous to say that it is going to materially affect anybody else’s enjoyment of it.”

Mrs Berry, who lives just yards from the green in Bulkley Close, said she was hopeful that the inspector would support a change of use for the land.

“There has been a lot of evidence, it has been very detailed,” she said.

“The closing submissions were good on behalf of those people who support it in re-focusing the inspector on the fact that this is a much wanted and needed facility.”

A decision is expected within six weeks, when the inspector will report back to the secretary of state.